HSBC Boosts LatAm Research with Three Appointments

Additional Hires Allow HSBC to Provide Full Spectrum of Latin America
Research

January 24, 2013 02:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HSBC today announced it has added three senior analysts to its Latin
America research team as part of the bank’s continued commitment to
providing high quality emerging market research. The analysts will
enhance coverage of the Latin American transportation, capital goods and
utilities sectors as well as Southern Cone and Andean equity strategy.
All three analysts will report to Ben Laidler, Head of Research for the
Americas.

“These appointments underscore our commitment to creating a leading
Latin American research capability that enhances our overall Global
Emerging Markets proposition,” said Stuart Parkinson, CEO Global
Research. “With our strength in key emerging market countries, and in
particular Asia, HSBC is well-positioned to be a leading provider of
research in this important region.”

“As investors look for investment opportunities in faster growing
markets, it is important that we continue to invest in our Latin America
research offering at this pivotal time,” added Ben Laidler, Head of
Research for the Americas. “These appointments will allow us to provide
a full spectrum of Latin America equity sector and strategy coverage and
complement appointments made in equity capital markets and in the equity
sales area in 2012.”

Sandra Boente has joined HSBC as a Senior Vice President responsible for
covering the Latin America utility and water sectors. Based in New York
City, Boente brings a wealth of experience to this role with more than
18 years of financial markets experience.

Most recently, she served as the Latin America utilities analyst at
Deutsche Bank. Previous to that, she covered the European oil and gas
energy sector at Santander and was the energy analyst at Citigroup
covering Latin America. She holds an MBA from Columbia University, a BA
from Argentina's Catholic University and is fluent in English, Spanish
and Portuguese.

Alexandre Falcao has joined HSBC as a Senior Vice President covering the
Latin America transport and capital goods sectors. Based in Sao Paulo,
he also reports locally to Alexandre Gartner, Head of Equity Research
for Brazil. In this new role, Falcao will cover the fast growing
transport (airlines and car rental), infrastructure (airports, toll
roads, and ports), and industrials (machinery and capital goods) sectors.

Falcao brings 12 years of Latin America financial markets experience.
Most recently, he was a banker in the equity capital markets area of XP
Investimentos in Brazil and served as a portfolio manager at Drachma
Capital. Previous to these roles, he was a sell-side analyst at Morgan
Stanley and Merrill Lynch responsible for coverage of Latin America
mid-to-small cap companies. Falcao holds a bachelor's degree in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo. He is fluent in
English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Francisco Schumacher has joined HSBC as a Vice President and Southern
Cone and Andean Strategist. In this new role, he will be responsible for
equity strategy and special situation stock coverage for Argentina,
Chile, Colombia, and Peru. The position will enable HSBC to provide a
full Pan-Latin America strategy and research product. He is based in New
York City.

Schumacher brings more than eight years equity research and strategy
experience. He joins from Deutsche Bank where he was a Latin America
strategist with primary focus on the Southern Cone and Andean region. He
is a CFA charter holder, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and
Portuguese.

In 2012, HSBC’s Global Banking and Markets business added Gerard Watson
as Head of Latin America Equity Sales in the U.S. and Matias Santa Cruz
as Head of Equity Capital Markets for Brazil.

HSBC’s Latin America equity research team now consists of 23 senior
analysts, equity strategists, and economists covering over 150 stocks
across the region’s six main markets - Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Mexico, and Peru - from research offices in Sao Paulo, Mexico
City, Buenos Aires and New York City.

Notes to editors:

HSBC Bank USA, National Association, with total assets of $196bn
as of 30 September 2012 (US GAAP), serves 3 million customers through
retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking, private
banking, asset management, and global banking and markets segments. It
operates more than 250 bank branches throughout the United States. There
are over 165 in New York State as well as branches in: California;
Connecticut; Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Florida; Maryland; New Jersey;
Pennsylvania; Oregon; Virginia; and Washington State. HSBC Bank USA,
N.A. is the principal subsidiary of HSBC USA Inc., an indirect,
wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc. HSBC Bank
USA, N.A. is a member of the FDIC.

Global Banking and Marketsis an emerging markets-led and
financing-focused business that provides tailored financial solutions to
major government, corporate and institutional clients worldwide. HSBC
manages its Global Banking and Markets operations as a global business
and maintains offices in more than 60 countries and territories. Global
Banking and Markets offers clients geographic reach and deep local
knowledge. In the United States, it offers a full range of tailored
financial products and services through the HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and HSBC
Securities (USA) Inc.

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is
headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from
around 6,900 offices in over 80 countries and territories in Europe, the
Asia-Pacific region, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and
North Africa. With assets of US$2,721bn at 30 September 2012, the HSBC
Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services
organisations.